After paying attention to the events of Holy Week, and Peter’s determination to stick by Jesus coupled with his infamous three times denial before the roster crows, I know exactly how a post-resurrection conversation between Jesus and Peter is going to play out.

Peter do you love me?Yes.Then why did you pretend you didn’t know me?!

Peter do you love me?Yes.Then why did you say you weren’t my disciple?!

Peter do you love me?Yes.Then you had better prove it next time you’re asked about your relationship with me!

Jesus seldom conforms to my expectations.

First of course, he feeds. A meddling stranger on the shore, a huge haul of fish; breakfast round the fire.

And then he leads Peter into a new life.

It is not Peter’s proven track record of quick understanding or stable reliability that makes him ready for this new life, but his eagerness to splash, undignified and hungry, to the fire to be fed by Jesus.

It’s ironic that after being fed on the flesh of fish, Peter is charged with feeding sheep – since sheep are vegetarian. But Peter has what it takes to feed others because he has been fed by the Risen Christ. The Risen Christ who is alive and well because of his Heavenly Father. If this chain of sustenance sounds familiar it might be because you’ve heard chapter 15 of John’s gospel:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. … Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. … My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. (Selected verses)

This is where Peter’s credentials come from.This is where Peter’s hope lies.

The triple questioning to Peter, at the breakfast fire, is significant because of Peter’s three times denial of Jesus, at a fire, not so long before. Everyone agrees on that. Some commentators make much of the two different words for “love” used, others say that’s just the style of John’s gospel – to vary words, like one kind of love and another kind of love, sheep and lambs, feed and tend.

Some translations give the scene a heading like “Jesus reinstates Peter” but Jesus is not necessarily reinstating Peter from a fallen status here. Peter dropped his own identity as a follower of Jesus when he denied being a disciple. Jesus helps him find it again.

In each response Peter says: You know, you know, you know. I love you. And in fact Jesus does know. It’s Peter who has to be convinced.

In Matthew’s gospel (26:33-35) Peter denies he will deny Jesus: ‘Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ This is the version that I tend to rely on, probably because we read it every year at our Tenebrae service. In John’s account though, what Peter is determined to do is follow: ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’

So the Risen Jesus is both playful and deadly serious about following. He says in verse 19 “Follow me” – which could be an existential command, but is probably initially a request for Peter to stand up and walk with him. (We extrapolate this because one minute they’re at the fire, the next they are walking, being followed by the beloved disciple.) This easy stroll leads to the real challenge – for Peter to truly, deeply follow Jesus with his life.

Jesus warns Peter that this new life he’s walking towards contains places he’d rather not go, situations he’d rather not find himself in. Yet Jesus dares to invite Peter: follow me. And Peter dares to.

Peter just has one more concern: “Lord, what about him?”

The beloved disciple is mentioned only a few times throughout the gospel, but he was special to the original recipients of John’s gospel. Church tradition holds him as John, the author of John. This final chapter is considered the “extended ending” of the gospel, most likely added a little later – perhaps to clarify misunderstanding around the beloved disciple’s immortality, perhaps to give Peter’s reputation a boost since he was so important in other strands of the early church.

Jesus’ response “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” is pretty hilarious. It’s very hard to know what tone to give this. “What is that to you?” a reprimand? But indeed, what is that to Peter? It’s not nothing.

Jesus is doing more than giving Peter “busy work”, to recover from shame or curb hot-headed impulses. Jesus is placing Peter slap bang in the middle of a community. Jesus is reminding him of the gift and consequences of belonging.

We don’t follow in isolation, much as the sight of certain others on the path might irritate and bewilder us. So I prefer to think of Jesus’ final question as an invitation to realise we are part of a resurrection collective, a community of sheep of the Good Shepherd, and we are not complete unless we are all fed and tended.